AAP objects to Punjab's Rs 84 largesse to ex-CM

Chandigarh, Sep 23 (IANS) Attacking the Congress government in Punjab for its largesse of Rs 84 lakh towards a former Chief Minister, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused it of “indulging in favoritism and nepotism” at the cost of the common man.

Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira said that the Amarinder Singh government was ready to foot the bill of a whopping Rs 84 lakh, levied as penal rent levied on former Chief Minister and Congress leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal for overstaying in her official bungalow in a VIP area of Chandigarh.

“This is a perfect example of wrong priorities and feudalism by Amarinder Singh, particularly at a time when Punjab is facing colossal bankruptcy of Rs 2.5 lakh crore and its agrarian economy under a debt of Rs 1 lakh crore,” he said in a statement here.

Criticising the Chief Minister, Khaira said that he could have used this Rs 84 lakh for writing off the debt of many small and marginal families saving them from the menace of suicides.

“On one hand, Finance Minister Manpreet Badal is advocating shunning of a meal to help farmers tide over debt crisis, while on the other hand, the cabinet is showering huge largesse upon a wealthy leader like Mrs. Bhattal. This feudal act of Amarinder Singh also amounts to promoting defaulters and encouraging politicians to break the laws, only to be compensated by public exchequer,” the AAP leader said.

Khaira also said that Amarinder Singh had tried to mislead people on the issue of figures of suicides by farmers in Punjab.